I.complaisance, indulgence, kindness, obliging disposition or conduct, mercy, grace, favor (class.; cf. indulgentia), most usual in the phrase veniam dare, to grant a favor, be favorable, to comply, consent.
I. In gen.: Jane, Juppiter, Mars pater, etc. ... vos precor, veneror, veniam peto feroque uti populo Romano Quiritium vim victoriamque prosperetis, an old formula of prayer in Liv. 8, 9, 7: “ab Jove Opt. Max. ceterisque dis pacem ac veniam peto precorque ab iis, ut, etc.,” Cic. Rab. Perd. 2, 5: “quaeso a vobis, ut in hac causā mihi detis hanc veniam, ut, etc.,” id. Arch. 2, 3; cf.: “precor hanc veniam supplici des, ut, etc.,” Liv. 30, 12, 14: “dabis hanc veniam, mi frater, ut, etc.,” Cic. de Or. 1, 6, 23: “Caesar tibi petenti veniam non dedit,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 11: “datur haec venia antiquitati, ut miscendo humana divinis, primordia urbium augustiora faciat, Liv. prooem. § 7: mi gnate, da veniam hanc mihi: reduc illam,” Ter. Hec. 4, 2, 29: “extremam hanc oro veniam, miserere sororis,” Verg. A. 4, 435: “datur petentibus venia,” Caes. B. G. 7, 15: “veniam petenti dedit,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 48; Cic. Att. 5, 21, 12: “veniam quoque a deis spei alicujus audacioris petimus, in sinum spuendo,” Plin. 28, 4, 7, § 35: “veniam mihi quam gravate pater dedit de Chrysalo!” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 6, 3: “cum data esset venia ejus diei,” when indulgence had been granted for that day, Liv. 26, 17, 12: “nobile illud nepenthes oblivionem tristitiae veniamque afferens,” a complaisant, mild disposition, Plin. 25, 2, 5, § 12.—
B. Permission to do any thing, esp. In phrases: veniam petere (poscere) and veniam dare; “veniā petitā puerum ad canendum ante tibicinem cum statuisset,” Liv. 7, 2, 9: “petere veniam legatis mittendis,” id. 33, 11, 3: “veniam dicendi ante alios exposcere,” Tac. A. 12, 5: “datā veniā seducit filiam ac nutricem,” Liv. 3, 48, 5; cf. “the context: qui censerent, dandam ceteris veniam talium conjugiorum,” Suet. Claud. 26.—
C. Bonā veniā or cum bonā veniā.
1. With audire, kindly, with favor, without prejudice: “bonā veniā me audies,” Cic. N. D. 1, 21, 59; cf.: “vos oro atque obsecro, judices, ut attente bonāque cum veniā verba mea audiatis,” id. Rosc. Am. 4, 9: “cum bonā veniā se auditurum,” Liv. 29, 1, 7: “cum bonā veniā, quaeso, audiatis id quod invitus dico,” id. 29, 17, 6.—
2. With verbs of saying (mostly parenthet.), by your good leave, with your permission, without offence, etc.: “nisi vero (bonā veniā hujus optimi viri dixerim) tu, etc.,” Cic. de Or 1, 57, 242: “bonā hoc tuā veniā dixerim,” id. Div 1, 15, 25: “atqui, frater, bonā tuā veniā dixerim ista sententia maxime fallit imperitos,” id. Leg. 3, 15, 34: “bonā veniā vestrā liceat, etc., Liv 6, 40, 10: primum abs te hoc bonā veniā peto ... mihi ut respondeas,” Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 31: “oravit etiam bonā veniā Quirites, ne quis, etc.,” Liv. 7, 41, 3.—Rarely veniā alone: “neminem ex his, quos eduxeram mecum (veniā sit dicto) ibi amisi,” Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 46.—
II. In partic., forbearance in view of any wrong that has been done, forgiveness, pardon, remission: “venia est poenae meritae remissio,” Sen. Clem. 2, 7: “errati veniam impetrare,” Cic. Lig. 1, 1: “pacem veniamque impetrare a victoribus,” Liv. 37, 45, 7: “veniam et impunitatem dare,” Cic. Phil. 8, 11, 32; cf.: “cui non apud senatum ... maximorum scelerum venia ulla ad ignoscendum duci possit,” id. Pis. 41, 98; id. Part. Or. 37, 131: “cui errato nulla venia, recte facto exigua laus proponitur,” id. Agr. 2, 2, 5: “cede deae, veniamque tuis, temeraria, dictis Supplice voce roga,” Ov. M. 6, 32; Hor. S. 1, 3, 75; id. Ep. 2, 1, 78: aliquem veniā donare in praeteritum, Suet. Dom. 9: “veniā dignus,” Quint. 1, 5, 11; cf.: “legere cum veniā,” id. 10, 1, 72.
